Highly modified, but certainly still counts for a leaf spring suspension. Really impressive indeed.
Bolt in 4-link or mono leaf springs
- Thread starter max512wedge
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Nice! What shocks were you running? And did you relocate the front spring eyelet up against the floor pan per the Mopar chassis manual.
max512wedge
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Thanks, Im going to dig around and see what I can find on how they fit a big tire in there. I’ve heard that with any kind of leaf springs that you can’t move the frame rails in to much or at all as it effects the chassis and handling of the car as it launches and makes the car inconsistent. I read that some years back on another web site as I was dreaming about building my car. I don’t know if this is true or not.
max512wedge
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Probably will be a Dana rear end. I just retired about a month and a half ago and I should’ve had this car finished already but it’s been setbacks after setbacks. I’m planning on being a serious racer for a few years then playing around at test and tunes. I’m planning on racing the March Meets and hot rod reunion every year until I grow tired of it or can’t afford it anymore. LOL!!!
max512wedge
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Did you mini tub it or put tub’s in it. Also what size rims and backspacing did you go with. Thanks
max512wedge
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Does your car run the caltrac split mono leaf system. What ever you run can you give me the low down on tires, rims, rear end, mini tubed, suspension etc…….. I really like the stance and look of your car and that’s what I want mine to look like!!! Thanks
I have a narrowed Dana , I did major surgery with my back frame rails, I sectioned the entire trunk to rear floor pan & narrowed the frame rails, for tubs I'm still in the process of making them, it's just going to be sheet steel.
I run a 15×12 with 2.5 inch back space.
It was easy to to that to my car, I wasn't afraid of ruining it lol.
B3422w5
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Used CE 3 ways at all 4 corners. Springs were in stock location, just used solid aluminum eye bushings. Crude but very effective.
Appreciated, I have CE's all the way around on my 69. I will have to spinn up some bushings!
Yeah that's a bad beeotch.
9secRR
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furrystump
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Years ago I installed QA1R single adjustable in the front and QA1 doubles in the rear. I’m never lifting the tire a foot so the singles are fine for me. I would recommend spending some money on a good set of doubles front and back. Ones that can be rebuilt and revalved. You will cry a bit, but they will be worth it. My cars does nothing violently, but I’m still out of adjustment with my current shocks. Viking or AFCO. I was asked by another racer if I thought the money spent on a double adjustable shock was worth it. ABSOLUTELY, and you’re going to hit everything harder. I was able to tune the rear suspension to keep the bulge in the sidewall even throughout the launch.
Similar setup as Krusty. I have a 10.5X29.5 tire and Afco DA shocks. It works great, so far...
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If it hasn't already been said, great double adjustable shocks are important at your power level. If possible, pick shocks that can he used with what you have now, and also be able to move to a different suspension system.
What a lot of guys don't see is the tremendous torque applied to the rear housing at the hit. If you have 700 ft lbs at the crank,, it is 1400 coming out if the converter, times the total gear ratio.a 1.45 low x 4.56 gears is 11.17 times that 1400, or approximately 15,000 ft lbs trying to twist that housing, and the shocks have to control it . With a 20 inch front segment on leaf springs, I takes a lot of shock to slow it down enough . So a call to the tech people to discuss your true needs is important. It might save you from changing to better shocks four times before getting it right like i did
What a lot of guys don't see is the tremendous torque applied to the rear housing at the hit. If you have 700 ft lbs at the crank,, it is 1400 coming out if the converter, times the total gear ratio.a 1.45 low x 4.56 gears is 11.17 times that 1400, or approximately 15,000 ft lbs trying to twist that housing, and the shocks have to control it . With a 20 inch front segment on leaf springs, I takes a lot of shock to slow it down enough . So a call to the tech people to discuss your true needs is important. It might save you from changing to better shocks four times before getting it right like i did
Looks great.
I'm sure everyone knows set backs lol.
I was flying on my build, I got the cage certified and now it's about to expire March 2027
Dammit !
71Demon540
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Sorry, I was out of town racing all weekend and just got back on here. My car is a back half car with 4 link. Fully tubbed, old school 4 link from the 80s. Not much adjustment. 32x13.5W slicks, dana 60 narrowed, 4.56 gears, strange axles, wilwood brakes. Front half of the car is an AJE front suspension, rack and pinion, no torsion bars, upper and lower tubular a-arms.
Now my dad's roadrunner has a split mono leaf spring with a ladder bar and housing floater. So does my friends roadrunner. Close friend of mine runs a true caltrac split mono leaf with the caltrac bar setup. His car has been 5.72 at 119MPH at 3385LBS. My dad's setup has adjustable ride height which was nice that he had it built that way in the 80s.
furrystump
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Anti roll bar will level her out nicely.
ValiantRacing
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Leaf springs, set them up and your done.
max512wedge
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What size rim and backspace did you use. Did you mini tub it and move the springs to the frame rails to get the 10.5x29.5 tire to fit. Sick launch by the way!!!
max512wedge
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Thanks for the advice much appreciated.
max512wedge
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Thanks, I have a lot to mull over between a four link or mono leaf. But the true deciding factor is price and with the set backs I’ve had with this car this last year is probably why I’ll go the cheapest route and hopefully go four link at a later date.
71Demon540
Well-Known Member
I think you will spend substantial amount less time messing with a true caltrac setup than messing with a 4 link. Although the 4 link is the ultimate in adjustability, theyre a pain in the *** to get dialed in. And if you put a 4 link in with no anti roll bar, they become much more challenging to handle. Just my opinion and what I have gone through. My car being a very old 4 link car, leaves a lot higher than you would want a 4 link car to leave. But due to my lack of adjustability since the suspension is so old with not many holes for adjustment and big space between the holes, I just found something that I know I can make work and stuck with it.
My opinion, one of the best working suspensions we have in our crew is the split mono leaf with a ladder bar and housing floater. My dad and close friend both run them in their heavy roadrunners with a lot of torque and over 900 HP. They have the least amount of traction issues out of any of us. The caltrac setups we have work great as they are simplistic but having a good double adjustable shock is CRUCIAL to making them work their best. It took me and my close friend many of years of fine tuning his caltrac to finally get it to the point where the car doesn't need a big huge wheelstand to stay hooked up and run fast. But now that we have a good handle on it, it works great. With today's technology and all the information out there on the internet, whatever decision you make, you will be able to make it work.
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